Education

This bill creates the Pennsylvania Robotics Team Support Grant Program to provide financial assistance to K-12 school districts and intermediate units for their robotics teams. The program establishes a dedicated fund that will be initially seeded with $2.5 million from the state, along with future contributions and interest earnings. To qualify for grants, eligible applicants must demonstrate partnerships with local businesses or educational institutions, secure a 25% local match for the funding, and participate in both virtual and in-person robotics competitions. Awarded funds can be used for coaching stipends capped at $1,500 per school building, competition travel and materials, and bonuses for teams advancing to higher competition levels, with a maximum grant limit of $10,000 per team per year. The Department of Education will manage the application process and publish annual reports on grant usage and recipient information.

This bill establishes school-based health centers in Pennsylvania public, private, and parochial schools to provide accessible medical care to students. These centers must remain open during school hours and cannot deny care based on a student's ability to pay, insurance status, or existing primary care provider. While the specific services offered are determined by the school district or private governing body, the centers are required to coordinate with outside providers and maintain strict confidentiality for medical records. Additionally, the legislation creates a statewide advisory council to oversee these centers and mandates that the state education department develop regulations in consultation with stakeholders.

This bill amends Pennsylvania's Public School Code to require the Department of Education and the Pennsylvania Game Commission to create a model program for hunting and trapping education for students in grades six through twelve. The program must include age-appropriate firearm safety instruction covering topics like safe handling, maintenance, and wildlife conservation, taught only by certified instructors without bringing actual firearms onto school property. Schools can offer this as an optional extracurricular class or integrate it into existing courses, and parents may request to excuse their children from the instruction without penalty. Additionally, the bill allows schools to receive reimbursement for program costs and counts related training hours toward staff professional development.

This bill requires Pennsylvania schools to offer optional hunting and trapping education courses to students in grades six through twelve by July 1, 2027. The program must include firearm safety instruction taught by certified instructors, covering topics like safe handling and maintenance, while strictly prohibiting actual firearms or ammunition from entering school buildings. Parents can request to excuse their children from these classes without penalty, and completing the course satisfies the state's basic hunter-trapper education requirement for obtaining a hunting license.

This Pennsylvania bill establishes a temporary program allowing businesses to receive tax credits for donations to scholarship and educational improvement organizations. The legislation sets specific annual spending limits for these credits, which are available only for fiscal years before 2027-2028, and creates a new restricted account to track the funds. It also defines various terms related to the program, including assessments and business firms, while assigning oversight duties to several state departments.